VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur — A race to protect thousands of young children from measles and rubella is now underway in Vigan as local health authorities join the Department of Health’s nationwide Ligtas Tigdas 2026 campaign.
The Vigan City Government, through its City Health Office (CHO), is working with the DOH, Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS), and Ilocos Sur Medical Society (ISMS) to provide supplemental measles-rubella vaccination to 2,779 children aged 6 to 59 months.
The campaign runs from August 10 to 28, 2026, giving parents and guardians a limited window to bring eligible children to participating health facilities and vaccination sites.
181 children vaccinated at Vigan launch
The campaign formally gained momentum during its August 11 launch, when 181 children received the measles-rubella vaccine.
Health officials are stressing that the supplemental campaign is designed to reach eligible children regardless of their previous vaccination status. That makes the activity different from simply checking whether a child has completed routine immunizations—it is intended to close immunity gaps and provide an additional layer of protection.
Vigan health authorities said the city had reported no measles or rubella cases this year as of the campaign launch.
But the absence of reported cases does not mean the threat has disappeared.
Measles is highly contagious, and communities with gaps in immunization coverage can become vulnerable to outbreaks. Rubella can also pose serious risks, particularly during pregnancy because infection can result in congenital rubella syndrome.
Why the 95% target matters
Vigan’s campaign is part of a much larger effort across the Ilocos Region.
The DOH Ilocos Region has set a target of reaching at least 95% vaccination coverage among eligible children—a level public-health authorities identify as important for maintaining community protection and preventing outbreaks.
For the region’s August campaign, the DOH has targeted 444,512 children aged 6 to 59 months, including 48,683 children in Ilocos Sur.
The campaign is therefore not simply a Vigan initiative. It is one piece of a coordinated regional and national effort to close immunization gaps.
Other areas have also been mobilizing ahead of and during the August rollout. In Western Visayas, for example, the DOH planned to reach more than 408,000 children during its August 10–28 supplemental immunization campaign. Philippine News Agency reported that the effort was being mounted amid concerns over measles transmission and vaccination coverage.
Health officials push back against vaccine fears
One of the biggest challenges facing the campaign is not only reaching children—it is convincing hesitant parents to participate.
During the Vigan launch, DOH Ilocos Sur Team Leader Engineer John Foz urged parents to focus on prevention and assured them that government-provided vaccines are free, safe, and effective, while encouraging families with questions to seek information from health professionals.
The message echoes the DOH’s broader national vaccination campaign.
Earlier this year, Health Secretary Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa emphasized that measles-rubella vaccination is a key public-health intervention and that the vaccines used in the campaign undergo safety, quality, and efficacy checks.
The campaign is bigger than one vaccine day
The Vigan initiative also includes health education.
DOH and pediatric health experts conducted a lecture for parents covering the early signs of measles and ways families can help prevent transmission inside homes and communities.
Barangay health workers are also playing a critical role by informing families about the campaign and helping connect eligible children with vaccination services.
That grassroots approach matters because vaccination programs can only succeed when health workers can actually reach families—and when parents are willing to bring their children forward.
What parents in Vigan need to know
Parents and guardians of children 6 to 59 months old are encouraged to coordinate with their local health centers and barangay health workers regarding vaccination schedules and sites during the August 10–28 campaign.
The supplemental activity should also not be interpreted as a replacement for routine childhood immunization.
Health authorities have repeatedly explained that MR-SIA is intended to help close immunity gaps and strengthen protection against measles and rubella, including among children who may already have received previous doses.
For Vigan, the immediate target is clear: protect all 2,779 eligible children.
But the larger objective is even more important—maintaining sufficiently high vaccination coverage so that a preventable disease does not get an opportunity to spread.
And while Vigan currently reports no measles or rubella cases this year, health officials are making one point unmistakable:
The best time to stop an outbreak is before it starts.
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